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S P A C E T E A M O N L I N EUPDATE # 75 - March 22, 1999 PART 1: Pick your favorite pix - Ask your
best question PICK YOUR FAVORITE PIX - ASK YOUR BEST QUESTION
Have you started your collection of NASA Quest cards yet? Just in case you don't know what I'm talking about, these are little 2 x 3-1/2 inch cards that include a cool NASAesque picture, the Quest web address, and a little ditty about what we do. Some of you out there must have them because we're running low in supply. We want you to help us choose the new and improved cards, so we've established a page at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/common/pix where you can select your favorite pictures and place your vote. Let us hear from you! Here's a heads-up for an exciting opportunity! In December when we interviewed Commander Collins in a Shuttle cockpit simulator at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas (see archive at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/frontiers/interview ) she offered to answer some questions from our student constituents during her time on orbit if time permits. We would like to invite participants in the Female Frontiers project to pose questions from which your Student Ambassadors will select the best. These will then be passed on to Eileen, and if a transmission from space becomes possible, of course, we will bring that to you! This is an exciting opportunity, and we want to be sure not to abuse the privilege . Consider preparing ahead of time following the guidelines at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/frontiers/interview/questions.html More on Female Frontiers Student Ambassadors and Curriculum next time! Linda
QuestChats require pre-registration.
->Tuesday, March 23 10:00 a.m. PST (1:00 p.m. EST)
Chat with Sally Ride, First American woman in Space. See her profile at:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/frontiers/ride.html
Registration is full, but you can still observe at:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/frontiers/schedule.html
->Wednesday, March 24, 10:00 a.m. PST (1:00 p.m. EST)
Space Team Online Presents "ISS Behind the Scenes"
Join us for the continuing series of broadcasts from the Kennedy Space
Center ISS program. This month we feature the Space Station Processing
Facility. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/events/ISS
->Friday, March 26, 10:00 a.m. PST (1:00 p.m. EST)
Female Frontiers Chat with Shirley Temple Black, First female chief
protocol, first child actress to win Academy Award. See her profile at:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/frontiers/black.html
Registration at:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/frontiers/schedule.html
->Tuesday, April 6, 8:30 a.m. PDT (11:30 a.m. EST)
Dale Lueck, as design engineering lead is involved with designing
instruments for chemical analysis and process control. Recently, he was
assigned as the design engineering lead for the Analytical Instrumentation
Control Group at Kennedy Space Center. Read Dale's profile and field
journals at
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/team/lueck.html.
Registration for this chat will begin on March 23 at:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/chats.
Thursday, April 8, 1999, 10 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. EST)
Dionne Jackson, is an analytical chemist responsible for testing and
identifying metal alloys that are used as flight hardware and in
supporting equipment and structures. Read Dionne Jackson's profile at
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/team/jackson.html
Registration for this chat will begin on March 25 at
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/chats.
For continuing Female Frontiers schedule see:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/frontiers/schedule.html
For April Space Team Online chats see:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/chats
FEMALE FRONTIERS PUZZLE
The new puzzle is still in production, but we will begin tallying correct responses and keeping track of scores right away. Expect a challenge question weekly. Question 2: Answers due by Tuesday, March 30, 1999: Why was there a delay in the shipping of the Chandra Observatory to KSC that caused the launched to be postponed to July? ------- Question 1: Answers due by Tuesday, March 23, 1999: The Chandra X-ray Observatory (that will be carried into space aboard STS-93) is one of NASA's Great Observatories. Which are the other observatories? Which one had a repair mission and what are its new scientific instruments? Send your answers to Student Ambassador, Stephanie Wong: wongtong@connect.ab.ca RESPONDING TO YOUR NEEDS
Our recent survey asked: "Were your needs met?" and many responded with requests and suggestions for improvement. For the next several weeks I will attempt to respond to some of the comments we see repeated over time: * An Archive perhaps, and also perhaps an OnLine shop for purchasing merchandise and educational materials above and beyond what is currently offered. I'm anxious to hear a bit more about this. I believe that we do a pretty good job of archiving events and information, and if we are not getting the word out well enough about the whereabouts online of these archives, then we are not doing an adequate job of communicating. At times, there are glitches in which we lose information we cannot recapture, but typically within 24 hours of an event, we have placed online an archive of the interaction. As to an online shop, NASA has a large education program with two major goals: 1) Establish a physical presence in each state through the NASA Educator Resource Center network, and 2) Provide electronic information systems. NASA Quest is a vital part of the second goal. NASA Quest's mission is to offer great information, educational materials, pictures, and contacts within NASA over the Internet and free of charge, where all you need is an online computer (though, of course, the better the connection and computer, the more you can take advantage of our "higher end" offerings.) Hard copy pictures and other information is readily available through the Education Resource Centers. NASA Central Operation of Resources for Educators (CORE) is a worldwide distribution center for NASA's audiovisual and educational materials. Educators may request a catalog and order form by e-mailing nasaco@leeca.esu.k12.oh.us or go to: http://spacelink.nasa.gov/CORE The project t-shirts that give you the opportunity to identify your school/organization with NASA Quest projects like Space Team Online are offered by an outside company. We just think the idea is kind of neat and therefore want to let you know they're available. See: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/common/shirts * Explanations of various elements of the space program in a more elementary level * A little more technical. These two examples of the many "age specific" requests we received serve to illustrate a frustration that we share. We are continually attempting to solve this issue. As you can imagine, the "more technical" is easier to come by since the NASA folks we deal with feel very at home on the technical level, however our primary outreach is K-12. We are currently cooperating in a series from Kennedy Space Center with the University Programs there. One half hour of the full hour interactive question-and-answer period will be devoted to the university level. We will watch to see if there is an adequate need as we evaluate the series continuation. The next event is March 24. See the schedule of Upcoming Live Events above. On the issue of elementary students, I agree that many of the journals will be difficult for our younger students to understand. I wish I had a good solution - believe me I will continue to look for one! For a short time we had a volunteer who "translated" journals for the younger set, but we no longer have that input. In the Teachers' Lounge you will find many resources that are designed specifically for the elementary aged student. Take a look at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/teachers *How do you get chosen to participate in "inflight" discussions? Here it is always the SAME schools? Great question and one we've asked ourselves on occasion. As it turns out, above in my opening paragraphs you will read of an opportunity passed on to us by Eileen Collins for the STS-93 mission. My understanding is that when it comes to live interactions on orbit, these take place at the request of the crew and are dependent on mission exigencies. Even then, judging from our experience, it requires contacting a lot of people through whom the process takes place - I really do wish I knew more. There is additionally the SAREX program that provides access to Space Shuttle crew over ham radio?. Requests to be a part of this should be made by e-mail to the Amateur Radio Relay League at ead@arrl.org. [Editor's note: Stuart works with a group that develops and trains the astronaus to use software they will use on-orbit.] By: Stuart Engelhardt http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/team/engelhardt.html Interviewer: Lori Keith 03/19/99 A lot of time has passed since my last journal. Three flights have gone up using our application, Robotics Situational Awareness Display (RSAD), STS-91, STS-95, and STS-88. STS-91 and STS-95 were in preparation for flight STS-88. STS-88 was the big focus for us, as this was the first assembly of two components of the International Space Station (ISS), the Zarya and Unity. We had everything developed -- the hand controller display (HCD), the joint information display (JID), the RMS (Remote Manipulator System) checkout display (RCD), and the initial version of the SJD (Single Joint Display). The RMS display is used to check out the system beforehand. Each joint is tested to ensure that nothing is messed up, hindered, or broken since launch. Each joint is powered up for 12 seconds in one direction, then back in the other direction for 12 seconds, then the performance rates are evaluated for the arm. We are always working to make the data the astronauts need to evaluate situations more easily and quickly readable. One of the latest things we have worked on is to enhance the graphical display of the SJD. Single joint movement is used in tight spots and when there is a problem with the movement of the robotic arm in a fluid motion, using all joints at once. We have worked to include enhanced table data in the graphical displays to help the astronauts get a better idea of the movement limits of the RMS, or robotic arm. The table version (with numeric values) of the SJD flew on flight STS-88, and the enhanced version (with colored graphics) will fly on subsequent flights. We have worked to include a lot of data in one place instead of hunting for it on many different screens. For instance, on our display, pitch yaw roll information can be seen at the same time as XYZ coordinate information. We are now training on this new display system. It takes a lot of math and transforming from one coordinate system to another to make this work. This is why a team of us works on this together, all of us working on what we specialize in. Michel works on mathematics computation, matrix transformations, and using different coordinate systems; Victor works with the telemetry (data) from the Shuttle; I create numeric and graphical displays with the information Victor collects and Michel computes. We do have interaction with those using our products (crewmembers), so we have some idea what they want before and during the development of new products. Sometimes we train the trainers on how to use our product, so they can train the crew. The crews practice using our program and the robotic arm during their many simulations. They practice so much and work through every conceivable failure on the ground so that even an unexpected failure in space is unexpected. In the future, we will be working on a new single joint display. We may also work on some enhancements for the existing displays, like path planning and collision avoidance. My group, Victor Tang, Michel Izygon, and I, recently received the Group Achievement Award for our efforts on STS-88 and our contribution to ease of tasks that made the mission a success. During STS-88, EVA (extra-vehicular activities) operations were able to anticipate hitting a limit. We in turn, with RSAD, helped make EVA tasks a little easier. We went to a dinner where we watched some raw IMAX footage of the mission. Astronaut Jim Newman invited my group to the STS-88 launch, in Florida. I didn't get the opportunity to go though. The next big mission for my group is STS-92. During this mission, the astronauts will be assembling things with very narrow corridors. Though the new enhanced graphical display will be tested on STS-96, it will be really important on STS-92, during this construction. During STS-92, the crew will be attaching PMA-3 and truss segment Z-1 to the ISS. There is concern about RMS failures and having to depend on single joint ops (operation/movement) for some of the activities that are planned. The astronauts must have a good feed back tool, our display, because they also may not have a lot of visual as the payload bay cameras may be blocked. Sometimes the robotic arm's cameras are not a lot of help, either. STS-96 will be when the RSAD tools are tested at the same time the arm is being tested and evaluated. There are four different robotic arms that can fly on the Shuttle. They are called 201, 202, 301, and 303. Each has its own little bias, or counter offset, as each different arm is unique and has a bit different calibrations. The shuttle was originally designed to work two different arms, a port attachment and a starboard attachment. They have never used both, to my knowledge, and probably never will. Maybe the Ku-band and S-band antennas are in the way on that side where they are located, I'm not sure. Enough about work, last August I got married. My wife, Kimberly, is finishing her last year towards her accounting degree. We had a nice little family wedding, in the courtyard, at my church. Considering the reputation Houston has for hot, sticky Augusts, it was really rather pleasant that day, with a nice little breeze. It was wonderful! We went on a cruise for our honeymoon. It was really nice. We got back from the cruise the day before she started school, in the fall semester. We live in Clear Lake, in an area where there are lots of trees. STATUS OF COLUMBIA PROCESSING
Below, we provide reports on the processing of Shuttle Columbia taken from the detailed daily reports found at the NASA Shuttle Status web site at http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/status/status.htm At times these reports will contain jargon and unfamiliar terms; our intent is not to confuse you but to provide a glimpse at all the steps involved. Columbia is jacked and leveled in VAB high bay 2 undergoing routine system observation during a temporary storage period. Columbia will remain in the VAB until mid-April, when Shuttle Discovery rolls out of OPF bay 1. Columbia will then be transferred to OPF (Orbiter Processing Facility) bay 1 to complete STS-93's orbiter pre-launch preparations.
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